TRENTON, NJ (August 27, 2018) – Bank of America Charitable Foundation recently awarded a grant to Millhill Child & Family Development to support the Summer Youth Employment Program. The Summer Youth Employment Program is a partnership between the Trenton Mayor’s Office, Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce, MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce, Capital Region Minority Chamber of Commerce, Trenton Area Stakeholders and Millhill. Millhill is steward and administrator of the program.
“We recognize the importance and value of youth employment in our local communities. It is critical to provide tools and resources to help youth grow and develop their skill set so they can begin to chart a path for future employment success,” said Robert Doherty, New Jersey Market President, Bank of America.
The Summer Youth Employment Program is guided by an advisory board comprised of nonprofit and business leaders to help expand employment opportunities across the City for youth ages 16 – 21 who often times come from neighborhoods with the highest level of poverty and violence. The goal of the program is to provide Trenton teens with valuable summer employment and to help teens find, keep, and excel in a job.
“Millhill is proud to partner with Bank of America to provide meaningful training and summer jobs to Trenton youth who would not have had the opportunity otherwise,” explains Cynthia Oberkofler, Executive Director, Millhill. “The Summer Youth Employment Program has the potential to change the lives of the Trenton youth who are involved.”
Now in its third year, youth have been placed in summer jobs in government, nonprofit, and private sector organizations. Trenton youth received job training at Rider University and began employment for six weeks in July. Youth received job readiness training which focused on resume writing, interviewing skills, giving and receiving feedback and presenting a professional image to prepare them for success. After the job training, youth were matched with opportunities to work in the arts, business, education, culinary, camp counseling, and trade fields for the summer.
The program has employed 300 students during the summer for the past three years. As part of the program, the city employs a number of the youths in its summer recreation and food service programs or clerical work. This summer, Millhill employed approximately 50 youth in non-profit and for profit sectors.
Sadik, a participant in this year’s Summer Youth Employment Program, is employed with the Trenton Downtown Association where he is acquiring invaluable office skills and administrative experience. Sadik truly appreciates the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with his co-workers while receiving guidance and empowerment and valuable mentoring through the summer employment experience.
“Summer Youth Employment has made me realize how the positives outweigh the negatives in this city (Trenton)! It has opened my eyes to how many people care and how many different opportunities are available. My employer has encouraged me to use my voice, not bite my tongue, and pursue the things that I want,” explains Sadik, Summer Youth Employment Program participant.
Millhill Child & Family Development
Millhill Child & Family Development is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping children and families in Greater Trenton through education, counseling, family support services and community collaborations spanning from an early age to adult. Founded in 1971, Millhill serves more than 5,000 individuals in the community with the help of dedicated staff, volunteers and financial contributors. Millhill empowers lives using an approach that is both individualized and collaborative taking into account the dynamics of the whole family. Services are offered at 101 Oakland Street and 802 Prospect Street in Trenton, NJ. For more information about our programs, please visit www.www.millhillcenter.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/millhillchildandfamily.
Bank of America Environmental, Social and Governance
At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News). For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom. Click here to register for news email alerts. www.bankofamerica.com
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